At the Beginning: A Girl Meets World Tribute
by Little Missus
Summary: Ever wonder if they opened the time capsule in Girl Meets Pluto?


**A/N: It's been a while, readers. I am so sorry with lack of contact with y'all. I still need to get my creative juices flowing since I am currently stuck on my story,** _ **Mamma Mia.**_ **I've decided to do this one-shot to stretch myself out a bit as well as make a tribute to a favourite show of mine: Girl Meets World. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of GMW. They are created by Michael Jacobs**

 **HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:** **Listen to _At the Beginning_ as you read the story. **

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"Are we there yet?" a voice cried from the back of the van, causing all the kids to groan as well as the adults to chuckle.

"She definitely gets this from you, Peaches," a brunette with innocent brown eyes remarked to a blonde-haired woman with expressive blue eyes. This garnered a chuckle from the brown haired man in the driver's seat, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia and laughter as well as a fond smile from the dark haired man with shining blue eyes seated beside the blonde woman.

"You got something to say Ranger Rick?" the blonde woman

challenged the brown haired man up front.

"Maya, give the guy a break," the dark haired man said. But they both knew getting Maya to lay off Lucas was like telling a pig to fly.

"Yeah, Auntie Maya! Be nice to Daddy!" Another voice cried from the back. Riley smiled at that. Already, her little boy had taken to telling others to do what's right. Granted it was more commanding than when she did it, but then again, he was 5. He was the spitting image of Lucas, but with Riley's warm brown eyes.

"Hey! No one answered my question!" the first voice piped up from the back row.

"We'll be there in an hour, honey. Two, if there's traffic," Josh replied to his 7 year old daughter. A groan sounded out from the back, causing Josh & Maya to turn around and see their daughter dramatically throw her hands up in the air.

"It's okay, Penny, we'll be there soon," Riley's son, Mark, said, patting his "cousin" on the shoulder. Shooting his great-nephew a thankful smile, Josh surveyed the rest of the kids. His and Maya's eldest son, Peter, had taken to sleeping. The 9 year old was the spitting image of Josh, but his eyes looked more like Maya's. His daughter had also inherited his black hair but other than that, she resembled Maya in every way possible.

Riley was quietly looking out at the scenery when she felt a poke on her shoulder. She turned to look at her uncle, who pointed to her daughter who was staring out the window with an appreciative look on her face.

"Whatcha thinking, Belle?" Riley asked the 9 year old. Belle jumped as if she had been shocked but turned to face her mother anyway. She was Riley but with Lucas' green eyes.

"Just appreciating the scenery. But, I'm also wondering the reason for this sudden road trip." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the four adults shared a significant look. _So they do have a reason,_ thought Belle. She wanted to ask, but she knew that when something wasn't told to her, it was meant to be a surprise.

The car continued in silence as one by one the kids followed Peter in drifting off to sleep. The adults appreciated the peace and quiet it brought because it gave them a chance to talk about the purpose behind the impromptu road trip.

"Do you think we should've waited longer? We didn't have to wait 15 years like your parents and my dad did," Maya asked Riley. She smiled.

"Nah. I think we've waited long enough. Besides, our kids are soon going to be the age my dad was when he first met the world. They may have been younger than us when we did the same thing, but they're ready." Maya smiled at her best friend, squeezing her hand before moving towards her husband, who wrapped his arm around her.

"Don't wake me up 'til we're there, Boing," she murmured into her husband's chest.

"Whatever you want, Hunter," he replied.

"It's Matthews now, remember?" she reminded him in a voice that held a jesting tone.

"How could I forget?" He said, and he grinned as his wife's own smile widened just a little before she drifted off.

Up in the front seats, Riley and Lucas stayed quiet as they looked at the road ahead. Riley broke the silence with "Do you remember the first time we visited my family in Philadelphia?"

"I thought we were going to save the reminiscing for later?" Lucas told his wife. He tried hard to keep his eyes on the road but he couldn't stop looking at his wife of 10 years. Even though time had passed, she still looked as beautiful as she did the day she fell onto his lap on the subway.

"Well, we can take some stories out now. We'll save the best ones for later," Riley said.

"In that case, yes, I do remember it," Lucas replied. "I remember how silent I was the whole way because of how nervous I was."

"I'm sorry if I annoyed you when I kept trying to make conversation," Riley apologised. Lucas shook his head at her apology. "Riley, you know I love it when you talk to me. You were just trying to calm my nerves."

"All those nerves were for nothing. You know I told my family about how much of a gentleman you are. My grandma kept pinching your cheek saying how adorable you were. My grandpa just gave you an once-over and said, 'You'll do'. And well, my uncles like you so there was nothing to worry about."

Lucas smiled at the memory. "I am pretty likeable, aren't I." He grinned teasingly at his wife. Riley tilted her head and looked at her husband, then shook her head. "Nah. You're not likeable." Lucas raised his eyebrows in disbelief at her.

"You're loveable," she said. And with that, the road trip continued on in silence.

A knock sounded out through the apartment. Topanga Lawrence-Matthews knew immediately who it was since most people usually buzzed in to make their presence known. She opened the door and smiled to see her daughter, her son-in-law, and her grandchildren along with her brother-in-law, her sister-in-law (goodness, it still felt strange to call Maya that in her head), and their children.

"Hi everyone." A chorus of "Grandma!" and "Auntie Topanga!" rang out as they surged forward to squeeze the life out of her.

"Ah, my little babies. How good it is to see you again!" She told them before making her way over to her daughter. "Hi sweetie," she said, hugging Riley. Riley smiled. No matter how old she got, she still loved the feeling of being in her mother's arms. Eventually she let go of her mother so that Topanga could hug Lucas, Josh, and Maya.

Footsteps sounded out from the bedroom and the group turned around to see Cory in his old blue robe. This time, the children ran to greet their grandpa/uncle who proceeded to hug them back, kissing the girls and ruffling the hair of the boys. He then strode over to the four youngsters now adults. He held out his hand for Lucas to shake. "Mr. Friar."

"Mr. Matthews," Lucas replied, smiling fondly at his old history teacher as they shook hands. Cory then went over to his daughter. "Hey Riley." Riley smiled at her father. "Hey Daddy." She then gave him a hug. When Cory looked at Josh, he exclaimed, "My brother!" and Josh replied with "My brother!" before coming in for an embrace. Maya then came in for a hug after her husband and with that, the whole group trooped over to the dining table.

"How was the trip here?" Cory asked them as they took their seats.

"Fine, other than the occasional 'are we there yet' from one Miss Penelope Matthews," Maya said, giving her daughter a glare, which her daughter returned with as much fierceness as any 7 year old could.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from your daughter," Cory replied, causing everyone to laugh. They continued to chat as they ate their breakfast of pancakes. Soon after, the buzzer sounded. Cory made his way over. "Helloooooo?" He asked, stretching out his o's to the amusement of the kids who giggled at his antics.

"Cor, let us up already!" a familiar voice sounded.

"Well, come on up then!" Cory shouted joyfully. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door, which opened to reveal none other than Shawn Hunter and his wife, Katy.

"Yay!" Cory cheered as he and Shawn hugged fiercely, swaying rather dangerously on the spot. Katy shook her head as Topanga approached her. "You'd think that they hadn't seen each other in decades. I mean, it's barely been a week."

Topanga shared a smile with her. "That's Cory and Shawn for you." The two men broke apart, only for the kids to run towards their Grandpa Shawn. They hurtled towards him so fast that he fell to the floor, all of them on top of him.

"Hey! Get of me, you little monsters!" he shouted, though there was no anger in his tone. "You know what happens to kids who don't listen?" That made the kids freeze right there. "They get tickled!" He then seized the nearest kid, which happened to Peter. He thrashed around, laughing as his grandpa tickled his sides.

Once they stopped, Maya made her way over to her dad. "Hey Dad," she said happily. Shawn broke into a wide smile. Even though he had officially been her father for 13 years, he never got used to hearing her call him that. Maya also smiled in excitement, looking forward to the little surprise he had for him and her mother. Katy went over to her daughter.

"Hey Baby Girl."

"Hey mom." Mother and daughter then embraced. After hugs had been passed all around, everyone settled down to wait for one more group to show up. Barely 20 minutes after they settled down, the buzzer went off again. Riley stood up and pressed the button, already anticipating the voices that would come out. "Farkle."

"And Smackle," a female voice sounded out.

"And Tony," a young male voice uttered followed by a high pitched voice saying, "Joni", and the last one that went "Ba-ba".

"Come on up," Riley practically sang into the speaker box.

Moments later, a knock was heard on the door. She opened it and was greeted by the sight of her childhood friend, his wife, and their children. "Auntie Riley!" Tony, a five year old boy who had Farkle's eyes and Smackle's hair colour, exclaimed as he squeezed the life out of his aunt. Joni hung back, a little reluctant to give her aunts and uncles a hug.

Riley walked forward and crouched down in front of her god daughter, who looked up at her with big brown eyes. Riley smiled and gave the little girl a big hug. At first, Joni just froze unsure of what to do but then gave her aunt a hug as well.

After Toni and Joni had run off to meet the rest of the family, Riley went over to both Smackle, Farkle and their new baby Smarkle, giving them a big hug. Farkle reciprocated immediately though Smackle seemed hesitant at first, she eventually eased into it as well. Baby Smarkle just drooled on his aunt's blouse.

They joined the rest of the group at the dining table, where Farkle & Smackle greeted the rest of their old friends and the adults as well. The kids broke away from the group, making their way to the living room, where they began to chat with each other about their every day lives.

"My birthday's coming up soon. Mommy's giving me a purple horse," Mark said proudly.

"Isn't that kind of girly?" Peter asked the five year old.

"He doesn't seem to think so. I think it's cute," Belle said, stepping in to defend her brother.

"Hey, watch what I can do," Penny announced, inserting her hand into her armpit and making a farting noise.

"How is it possible for you to make noises from your underarms?" Joni asked, prodding Penny curiously.

"Belle, do you have any new books for me to borrow?" Tony asked.

"Sorry, I left them back in Texas. I asked Daddy's permission but he said that it couldn't fit in the car anymore. Maybe I'll let you borrow it when you visit," she suggested, smiling brightly.

"Sure!" Tony piped up, excited.

On the adults table, Riley and Maya watched the children with a content smile on their face. It seemed like so long ago that they were once the ones like that, being with their friends and talking about mundane things as if they were the most important things in the world.

Now, they were all grown up, watching the next generation begin their own story.

However, like in many stories, we have to go back and relive the beginning.

"What are we doing here, mommy?" Peter asked as Riley led him and Belle to their grandma's coffee shop. They always loved going here. Not only for the yummy free food, but because they always had fun together here. Birthday parties, dinner outings, just talking with mommy and daddy. It felt like home.

"Yeah, what are we doing here?" Peter asked his parents, who were carrying Penny.

"Well, we're here to tell you something," Maya answered her son. She strode past the group into Topanga's. Riley and her children came in, followed by Josh & Lucas, Peter with Shawn and Katy, Farkle & Smackle with baby Smarkle, Cory and Topanga with Tony & Joni.

They all went to a familiar table with a set of cushioned chairs: two near the window, another two beside it, and another two near the counter. Josh and Maya sat on one side with their children, Lucas & Riley beside them with their children, and Farkle and Smackle with their offspring on the last set of chairs. The two sets of grandparents remained standing.

"What did you want to tell us, Mom?" Penny asked.

Maya nodded to Riley, who smiled at her godchild and began her story. "Once upon a time, there were two best friends. One was a young girl who believed in everything, the other was another young girl who needed hope."

Maya took over. "Now these two girls grew up to be the best of friends. Thunder & Lightning, Sweetie & Peaches, Riley and Maya. Forever."

It was Riley's turn once again. "They were each other's best friends, but they weren't each other's only friends." Here, she sent a significant look to Farkle, who knew where this was headed.

"One fateful day, a little boy named Farkle Minkus was invited to a party at a little girl's home. There, he met a blonde who was fierce and mysterious and brunette who was bright and kind. He knew then that he loved them and he wanted to be with both of them," he said.

"But how?" Joni asked her daddy.

"And what about Mommy? Didn't you love her?" Tony asked him as well.

"We'll get to that later, sweetie," Smackle assured her two children. She turned to her husband, smiling. "Go on."

"Even though there was Riley & Maya, there was also Farkle Minkus." He then sent a look to Josh.

"As the years went by, more people came into their lives. One of them was a 10 year old boy named Joshua Gabriel Matthews. Now, being Riley's uncle, he already knew all about Riley. However, he didn't count on a big blonde bombshell suddenly dropping into his life." He smiled at Maya before continuing on.

"One Thanksgiving, when it was Cory's and Topanga's turn to have the whole Matthews clan over, Riley decided to bring along a little friend. Her little friend, being the little mischief she was—" Here, Maya rolled her eyes at her husband "—jumped on the couch with a loud BOING!" He jolted his lap, where Penny was sitting on, causing her to bounce a little.

"Is that why Mommy always called you Boing?" Penny asked.

"That's one reason," Josh told his daughter. "So, little Maya didn't just have Riley Matthews. She also had Josh Matthews." He laced hands with Maya's. "Right from the very beginning." He then sent a look over to Lucas who then began his part of the story.

"Another person came into not just Maya's life but Riley's as well. It came in the form of a tough cowboy who had to leave his home and make a fresh start in New York.

"One day, he took the subway, which would bring him to his new school. He looked up at his surroundings and locked eyes with a pair of big brown eyes.

"He tried to go back to his book, but he couldn't concentrate anymore. Suddenly, the train gave a huge jolt, and something fell into his lap. He looked up to see the brown eyed girl from earlier, looking at him with the cutest expression on her face." Riley blushed at her husband's words. He nudged her to tell the next part of that story.

"As I looked into his green eyes, all I could say was, 'Hi, we were just talking about you.'"

"I then said, 'I'm Lucas'". Her husband added.

"And I said, 'I love it.'" Riley said.

"I didn't know if I would see her again. I thought she was someone worth knowing. So, imagine to my great surprise, when I walk into your grandfather's classroom and I see this pretty princess again." Lucas kissed his wife on the cheek. "Riley didn't just have Maya Hart, she also had Lucas Friar."

"For a while, it was just Lucas, Maya, Farkle, and me," Riley told the children. "But many surprises were in store for us."

"One of these surprises came in the form of small, pig-tailed girl with a brilliant mind. Though, not as brilliant as mine," Farkle said, earning him an eye roll from his wife.

"Keep telling yourself that, honey. Anyway, yes. That girl was me. I first met your father during a debate competition. And when he said his piece, it was love at first sight for me." Farkle gave his wife a side hug.

"However, your father didn't notice me for a while. It wasn't till your father was officially a genius that he did," Smackle told them.

"I realized that yes, I love Riley and Maya, but what I felt for Smackle ran deeper than that," Farkle said, kissing her cheek.

"What were some of the other surprises?" Mark asked, his eyes wide with fascination and curiosity.

"Well, one of them came in the form of your Uncle Zay," Lucas told him.

"But you said you've known Uncle Zay for years," Belle chimed in.

"I did, sweetheart," Lucas explained. "But, when I moved to New York, I lost contact with him. And I was also angry with him."

"Why?" Mark asked.

"You see, I was always saving your Uncle Zay when something bad happened to me. Because of that, I had to leave my school in Texas," his father patiently said. Riley laid her head down on her husband's shoulder, remembering how he told her that was a dark spot in his life.

"So, I was shocked to see your Uncle Zay appear in my school. It turns out, he had to leave as well. That day, he got into trouble again and I saved him."

"Did you have to leave again?" Mark asked, his eyes wide.

"No, son. I didn't have to. Not only that, but I forgave Zay, and I got my best friend back."

"Why isn't Uncle Zay with us now?" Peter piped up from his spot.

"Because, your Aunt Vanessa is going to have the baby any time now. He couldn't afford to leave her alone," Riley explained. Peter nodded in understanding.

"What started out as Riley & Maya eventually grew to include Farkle, Lucas, Zay, and Smackle," Maya narrated, picking up the story from where they last left off. "They had many adventures, both in middle school and high school."

"What kind of adventures?" Penny asked, her eyes growing wide with excitement.

"The kind we live every day. Meeting new people, celebrating holidays together, trying different things, and testing our friendships," Maya told her daughter.

"It was some of these adventures that we wanted to share with you today," Riley told the kids.

"15 years ago, your crazy grandpa here—" she pointed at Cory, causing all the kids to giggle, "—had an idea that we should make a time capsule like they did when they were our age."

"What's a time capsule?" Mark asked Cory.

"It's something that contains important objects that holds special memories for us. You put it away and then you get it back years later," Cory explained to his grandson.

"What did you put in your time capsule?" Belle asked her parents, aunts, and uncles.

"That's what we're going to show you today," Lucas said.

Riley then turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, can you please get it?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure thing, honey," Topanga said, patting her daughter's head affectionately before going with Cory to the back room. A couple of minutes later, the Matthews emerged holding a battered black metal box. Some parts had been rusted over due to age, but it still held together.

Riley wiggled out from where she was squeezed between her daughter and her husband and made her way to the table. She opened the metal box, which made a loud creaking noise as if it hadn't been opened in decades.

She then took out an orange ball. "This is what I put in my time capsule," she showed it to the kids who tilted their head in curiosity.

"An orange ball?" Peter asked.

"No, Pluto," Riley corrected him.

"Why Pluto?" Belle asked.

"You see, at that time, I found out that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore. I was devastated. I know, most people don't care about something millions of miles away, but I did. I took it as a way to have hope for others and hope for myself.

"And it worked out." Here she smiled at the people who had gathered all around her.

"I have a wonderful husband who gave me two beautiful children." Lucas then gave her a peck on the cheek as her children gave their mother a hug.

"My childhood friend has found somebody who really loves him like he deserves to be loved." Farkle and Smackle raised their joined hands.

"My best friend is happy and she has everything she could ever want in life." Maya's eyes sparkled with unshed tears as Josh gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, and Shawn & Katy placed a hand on each shoulder of their daughter.

"Pluto taught me that you just have to keep hoping despite what anyone believes." She then gave the planet to her children, who stared at it with newfound respect.

"My turn," Lucas talked. Handing Mark over to Riley, he took out an innocent looking piece of paper.

"A piece of paper?" Belle asked, looking at what was in her father's hand.

"Not just any piece of paper. My transfer slip," he told her. He then turned his gaze back to it.

"Back before I came to New York, I saw this as a reminder that I had to leave my home behind. Like I said earlier, I wasn't the best person back then. Then I came to John Quincy Adams Middle School. There I met a princess—" he looked lovingly at his wife "-a rebel—" Maya flipped her hair in a teasing manner, "-and a genius." Farkle did a mock salute.

"They helped me become a better person. They helped me become the best me I could be. And for that, I will forever be grateful." He handed that treasure to his two kids, who beamed at their wonderful father.

"Me next," Farkle said. He reached into the box and grabbed an orange turtleneck.

"Who owned that, dad?" Joni asked, staring at that article of clothing.

"I did." His kids' mouths dropped open in shock. They had known their dad to favor black with the occasional blue and grey thrown in.

"Indeed, children," Smackle added. She wanted to add more but decided to let her husband continue the story.

"You see, back when I was in middle school, I would always wear turtlenecks, and make this laugh." He then did his signature "Ha!", which caused his kids to giggle and the baby to go "Pa-pa".

"I loved who I was. But then, somebody made fun of me. He bullied me, telling me I was the biggest nothing in school and I had no right to be confident." A trace of sadness and hurt could be heard in his voice. "So, I took off my turtlenecks."

"But—" he smiled gratefully at Maya, Riley, and Lucas, "—I had really good friends who helped me remember who I was. And reminded me that I was still cared about, even if I was weird.

"Now, I've evolved. While I'm not exactly Dr. Turtleneck, he's still a part of me. And I've become something, and not the nothing I thought I was then. I've become a father, a husband, and a best friend." Here, Smackle laid her head on his shoulder while his kids gave him a fierce hug.

"You are a somebody in our lives, dad. Somebody special," Tony said.

"You're…stupendously amazing," Joni added.

The rest of the group smiled at the love the Smackle-Minkus family shared. Especially, Riley, Maya, and Lucas.

Now, there was only one thing left in the time capsule. Thankfully, Lucas, Riley, and Farkle didn't peek in so they could let Maya reveal her treasure.

Maya walked toward the time capsule, and took out a picture. In that picture, there was a 14 year old her facing away from the camera with her mother holding a pink birthday cake and her dad smiling proudly at her.

Katy and Shawn smiled, tears sparkling in their eyes as they beheld the picture. Maya gave her parents a smile before showing the rest of the group what it was.

"When I was little girl, I didn't have much. I had my mom, but I didn't have my father."

"But wait? Isn't Grandpa Shawn your dad?" Peter asked.

Maya looked up at her dad, who she had grown to love so much. "He is, in everything but blood." She looked back at her son. "You see, before your grandma found Grandpa Shawn, she was married to a man named Kermit." Here, all the children and Shawn burst out laughing. Katy smacked her husband's arm, although she didn't put any malice behind it.

"Now, Kermit took off one day. And I was really sad. I wanted my daddy so bad but he wasn't there," Maya explained after the laughter had died down.

"Then one day, one fateful Christmas, I met this big, bearded male named Shawn Hunter who Cory said was his 'me'. At first, I didn't think much of him. He didn't like my best friend and he didn't see his own best friends for a decade and a half. Then, we connected. I learned that his mother left, and his dad was constantly in and out.

"That was when I realized, he was just like me." She blinked back the tears that had threatened to break from her eyes. Josh rubbed her arm in comfort.

"My 14th birthday came, and so did Shawn. Your crazy aunt here—" she jabbed her thumb in the direction of her best friend, "—came up with a master plan to make Shawn my father."

"Wait, what?" Shawn looked at Riley, Lucas, and Farkle in shock. "You? All three of you?"

"Also Mom and Dad," Riley piped up, causing Shawn to turn to his two best friends. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Cory said.

"Dad, can I continue please?" Maya asked, giggling a bit at her father's outburst. Shawn shook his head before turning to his daughter.

"Sorry. Yeah, continue your story, kiddo."

Maya smiled at the old nickname. "Anyway, the first time your grandparents saw each other, it wasn't pretty."

"How else was I supposed to react when a random man questioned my mothering skills?" Katy said, crossing her arms as she glared at her husband.

"If I remember correctly, it was smash a plate over my head," Shawn retorted, not bothering to hide his fond smile. Maya cleared her throat, reminding them that she still had a story to tell. They immediately fell silent.

"I was sad, because I did want Shawn to like me and be a part of my life and I was afraid Mom would drive him away like she did with my father. So, imagine to my great surprise, when Shawn comes in with my mother and says that everything I knew was wrong.

"It turns out, my dad left of his own free will. My mom had nothing to do with it." Maya held her mother's hand. "That was the day I reconnected with my mom.

"But that wasn't my only surprise of the day. Mom got me a locket, which was something I had always wanted and then later that night, my mom carried my birthday cake topped with fourteen candles and Shawn was right beside her. 'Make a wish,' your Aunt Riley said.

"Seeing the two of them standing together, I knew what I wanted. And, despite all that I had believed in, I hoped. I hoped I would actually have a family: a real one that loved each other and stayed together no matter what." She looked down at the innocent little picture.

"When I put this in the box, I thought that my wish would never be granted. 'Hope is for suckers', I said as I placed it in the box. But it wasn't." She then looked around at her loving parents, her amazing husband, her beautiful children, and her beloved best friends.

"In the end, I got everything I could ever want. I have my little rascals." Her kids squealed as she tickled them. "I have my Boing." Maya gave Josh a chaste kiss on the lips. "I have my parents." She squeezed their hands affectionately "and I have my friends." She beamed at them as she leaned on her husband's shoulder. "What more could I possibly hope for?"

The group stayed in silence, appreciating the loving atmosphere that cushioned their family. Years and years ago, they had met the world and though they had fallen on rough times, they eventually gained the blessings that they had longed and hoped for so long. Going back to the beginning helped them appreciate where they had gone.

Because nothing made you appreciate life more than seeing how far you've come.

 **LA FIN**

 **A/N: I came up with this fanfic when I was listening to "At the Beginning" from the movie Anastasia. I wished someone would make a fan video of that song and GMW but so far, there's nothing.**

 **And since I suck at AMVs, I decided it would be best to do this little fic instead. Thanks for taking the time to read.**


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